MAPIC last night unveiled MAPIC FOOD, the new name for its second F&B event, which takes place on May 8-9 in Milan.

“We decided to do this because of the growing importance of food & beverage,” said Francesco Pupillo, deputy director of MAPIC Markets. The 2019 event will include an exhibitor’s zone and conference programme, as well as a tasting area and pitching sessions, Pupillo added.

The new branding was unveiled at Food Premiere, a dedicated session held over wine and cheese, where a number of key players in the food industry outlined the opportunities ahead.

Regis Migdal, chief operating officer of SCC-LSGI, is working with chef and entrepreneur Gregory Cohen to help embrace new and exciting concepts. Migdal said shopping-centre owners were increasingly realising their ability to pull in customers from outside of traditional catchments as their focus changes. “Shopping malls used to just be to feed people, not to enjoy food,” he added.

Cohen said that landlords need to help smaller players to overcome the challenges of operating in shopping centres. “As a chef, I’m interested in going into a mall, but it’s also quite frightening for me, because I’m not sure I’m equipped,” he said.

The session also looked at the digital opportunity for food. Delegates were introduced to a number of apps and operators, including Arnaud de Rohden, CEO and co-founder of BlackSheep, who demonstrated his web app, which allows customers to order, pay and skip the queue in restaurants. “With this, every client has a waiter in their pocket,” de Rohden said.

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